Sometimes the media (print, electronic, film, etc.) depict art imitating life and/or sometimes they depict life imitating art. Very often, art and life intersect blurring the lines between the real and the unreal suggesting ‘is it live or is it Memorex?’ Nowhere in society does this transformation take place than on the screen/film.

In some instances, the role shapes the player and other times, the player makes the role memorable. It must be noted that “Ali” (Will Smith), “Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) “Ray” (Jamie Foxx) and the “Greatest” (Muhammad Ali), had the largest numbers of named depictions of Black people in recent memory. In those movies, some of the individuals actually portrayed themselves. Some memorable portrayals are as follows:

AL FREEMAN, JR. depicted the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (Malcolm X)

ALBERT HALL was the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (Ali)

ANGELA BASSETT has brought many famous women to life; she has portrayed Rosa Parks (The Story of Rosa Parks); Tina Turner (What’s Love Got To Do With It?); Katherine Jackson (The Jacksons: An American Dream); and Betty Shabazz (Malcolm X and Panther)